Betting in Luxembourg
Luxembourg is a small landlocked country, bordered by Germany, France and Belgium. Since 1868, the nation has been run as a constitutional monarchy. It is the last Grand Duchy left in the world, with The Grand Duke Henri acting as head of state. The nation is governed by a Prime Minister from the chosen party of the Chamber of Deputies.
Luxembourg’s first gambling venue was created in the 1800s, however all types of gambling were deemed illegal due to a member of the Grand Ducal family loosing vast amounts of land from a gambling game in Monte Carlo. The ban was held for many decades.
In the 1940s, a Grand Ducal mandate was passed to allow the creation of the Loterie Nationale - an initiative which was also influenced by the Oeuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte. For the next four decades, drawings were made in the style of a normal lottery, with tickets being distributed by the Post and Telegraph system.
Luxembourg’s first Instant Win Lottery came into place in the mid-1980s. The instant lottery game became all the rage and eventually spelt the end of the original lottery. Tickets for the new game were available at supermarkets and cafes, while Post &Telegraph were also suppliers.
Eventually an online web site was created, known as www.loterie.lu, which also offers Scratch Cards, The Euro Million, Lotto and Zubito. The profits are given to worthwhile causes such as the Red Cross, the National Emergency Fund, health and welfare projects and sports projects.
In preparation for the new millennium, Luxembourg’s government authorized the building of a new gambling venue in the capital of Mandorf-les-Bains. The complex was named Casino 2000, and offers an entertainment hall and hotel with restaurants. The casino can hold nearly 1,000 players at its games tables and gambling machines. There is a dress code in place that requires men to wear a jacket and smart shoes, and a nominal admission fee is required. Opening hours are 10am to 3am each day, except Saturday, when the casino closes an hour later at 4am.
Casino 2000 became well known for being the victim of a major robbery. The notorious crime took place in 2011 when four armed robbers brandishing AK-47s, fired shots, forcing people to the floor and then, using sledge hammers, broke through the bullet proof cashier window and looted chips and cash worth between €3-5m.
The armed robbers even held hostages during their getaway. The French Police later spotted the robbers fleeing to France in a BMW 3 Series but they were unable to catch them.
Gambling laws in Luxembourg allegedly state that placing bets with sportsbooks is an illegal practice, as well as games of chance including Poker, or any wagering not carried out within actual casino venues. On the other hand, the regulations do not oversee betting on sports and so the legalities are vague and have led to many unlicensed gambling activities being available throughout the nation.
Gambling via the internet via foreign bookmakers is prevalent with nearly 500 offshore Sportsbooks on offer. Well known companies such as Expect, Paddy Power, Unibet, Ladbrokes, William Hill and Bet 365 all welcome play from the citizens of Luxembourg. As the country’s gambling laws do not prohibit this form of betting, punters can continue to enjoy wagering on these foreign gambling web sites. Currently, there is no competition to this practice, as no internet gambling services are hosted in Luxembourg itself.
